Club Scars by Mara McBain Page B

from her to pass to the others. She turned back and gave the shop owner a warm hug. “Karna, you know Reaper’s old lady, Lee. Meet my soon to be daughter-in-law, Mox’s fiancée, Eva.”
    Karna leveled her intense gaze on Eva and cocked her head to the side, lips pursing in thought as they shook hands. “I’ve seen you somewhere.”
    “Umm, I work at The Lantern,” Eva offered uncertainly.
    Karna shook her head, tapping her lips in thought. The finger reversed and she pointed at Eva as the memory resurfaced. “You were at Curly’s when I was in there with Eddie. The guys shot a couple of games of pool.”  
    Eva’s face darkened in a deep blush but she nodded, eyes darting guiltily in Ginny’s direction. “We, umm, went out for wings.”
    “You know you are allowed to eat places other than The Lantern, right?” Kat asked with an eye roll. “The queen isn’t that big of a tyrant.”
    “Oh, no. That’s not it. I, uh,” Eva stammered and then dropped her face into her hands, shaking her head as she mumbled. “That was the night I got distracted and burned dinner beyond edible.”  
    The other women laughed and Ginny squeezed Eva’s shoulders in a hug.
    “It happens to the best of us, baby. I hope he was worth it.”
    Eva’s guilty giggle verified Gin’s naughty suspicion and drew howls and bawdy teasing from the others.
    “At least Moxie couldn’t blame you for ruining dinner,” Kat said still grinning.
    “I want to hear more about what Karna was doing with Crazy Eddie,” Ginny said making everyone turn to look expectantly at the busty blonde.
    “I’d hate to make Eva blush again,” she said with an unrepentant grin and wrapped an arm around Kat, steering her and the conversation toward the stroller. “You had the baby. How did I miss that?”
    “I’ll have to get on the Trinity Falls gossip mongers. They’re slipping!”
    “He’s a doll!” Karna said, leaning over the stroller to push the blankets back from Cam’s face. “What’s the little man’s name?”
    “Camden Alex Croston.”
    “I love that!”
    “This is his first shopping trip other than the boring old grocery store.”
    “We’ll take good care of him. I just got some amazing dream catchers in that would be perfect for his nursery. They’re actually made by a local Shawnee woman. They’re gorgeous.”
    “Oh, he needs one of those,” Kat agreed. “I love dream catchers.”
    “Karna, do you have any of the dragon’s blood jar candles in the back?” Ginny asked, picking up a handful of votives.
    “I poured some the other day,” the store owner said with a smile. “Let me show Kat these dream catchers and I’ll bring some out.”
    “Dragon’s blood?” Eva asked with raised eyebrows.
    “I see your skepticism, but smell this. They are divine and I just love the deep red color,” Ginny said, holding out a votive candle.
    Eva sniffed the candle gingerly. Her eyes flared in surprise.
    “Mmm, that does smell good. It’s earthy, but has a spicy smell too. I can’t really describe it, but I like it.”
    “Karna’s candles are kick ass. I’ve burned the incense since I was a kid. My dad hated the stuff, but it masked whatever else I was burning,” Ginny said with a husky laugh.
    “I’m not even going to ask.”
    “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” Ginny sing-songed with a wink.
    Kat hung two dream catchers from the stroller’s handlebar. She fingered the trailing feathers. It seemed sad somehow that she felt the need to protect one so young from evil. Infants were the true innocents. She looked down into Cam’s bright eyes and her chest ached like a fist closing around her heart. Most parents wanted a better life for their children. They were no different. More than anything in the world, she wanted to give this little one the childhood stolen from both her and Crux. She jumped as Ginny nudged her.
    “You letting the kiddo watch horror movies before bed?” she asked, gesturing at the dream catchers with